** Update: For those that missed out on the issue of Quiltmaker Magazine, I’m excited to announce this pattern is now available for sale for instant download in my shop. **

I feel like I’ve been waiting ages to show you this quilt. Last July, Quiltmaker magazine asked me to create a quilt pattern for their January/February 2012 issue that fit into the category of “modern color”. I designed this quilt, which I call Prism. It uses 99 paper pieced blocks. Simple paper piecing though, I promise!

I spent August working on the quilt, and that even included taking it and my machine on vacation with me so I could get it done on a tight timeline! Luckily I have a very understanding husband.

The quilt is made using all Free Spirit designer solids. These are all the bright colors, except for the dark purple.

So the magazine article itself is really cool. I’m lucky enough to be featured with two other bloggers I’m sure you know – Rachel from Stitched in Color and Elizabeth from Don’t Call Me Betsy. They both also have great patterns in the issue. We were all interviewed on our thoughts regarding use of color and there is a write up before the patterns.

My two pages in all their glory!

The final quilt measures 70″ x 85″. I quilted it in straight lines, on both sizes of the horizontal and vertical seams. I also quilted in the ditch on both sides of the white fabric.

The back is solid white with a simple stripe of all the colors I used on the front.

The solids and the pattern of this quilt make it probably the most modern I’ve created. I’m pretty happy with how it turned out and am really thrilled to be in my first print magazine. I hope you will check it out!

And speaking of pattern making, Generation Q has a post up on their blog about what *really* goes into writing a pattern. If you are interested in pattern making yourself, or just are curious into the time and effort involved, head on over.

For the last several weeks, Michele (Mishka) over at Quilting Gallery has been featuring a Celebrate Christmas blog party.

Each week three bloggers share tutorials for new quilt blocks. And today is my day! You can read my interview here. I’d like to welcome all the new visitors to my blog, I hope you enjoy my block, Starry Night.

This quilt block is a paper pieced. For those of you that participated in the Summer Sampler Series, you are old pros! If you are new to paper piecing, do not fear. First, I recommend reading through this tutorial and even making the sample block. It will really give you a basic understanding of paper piecing. And hopefully put your mind at ease. Second, I recommend reading through the entire tutorial for today’s block before starting. And finally, take your time making this one. We will be paper piecing 4 small blocks and then piecing those together. Ready? Let’s get started!

Starry Night Quilt Block Tutorial

Please note, all seams are 1/4″; Final block size 12.5″ unfinished
Reduce your stitch length so that the paper template will perforate easily. I used 1.5 stitch length.

Paper Piecing Templates
Print 4 of the Paper Piecing Template below. Be sure to print them at 100% and check the scale icon with a ruler before starting.

Prepare the templates. Cut the templates out around the seam allowance line.

Step 1. Cut your fabric. When cutting fabric for paper piecing, you will be cutting fabric that will be larger than needed. (You can save your scraps for later quilt squares.)

I recommend cutting 1 of each piece below, making a block, and ensuring it is enough fabric for your sewing style. Then you can make adjustments later for the rest of your blocks. These are the fabric sizes I used for my paper piecing.

Pattern Piece

1

Cut 4

5″ x 4″

2

Cut 4

5″ x 4″

3

Cut 4

5″ x 3″

4

Cut 4

5″ x 3″

5

Cut 4

10″ x 2″

6

Cut 4

7″ x 4″

Tip: I like to write the fabric color name I’m planning on the template pieces so I don’t get confused as I’m sewing. Yes, I’m easily confused.

Step 2: Take your fabric cut for Piece 1 and place it right side out on the back of your template, making sure to cover the entire template space 1. Pin into place.

Step 3: Take your fabric cut for Piece 2. Place it right side together to Piece 1 which you pinned into place in Step 2. Hold your template up to the light and make sure at least 1/4″ of the fabric overlaps into template space 2. This will probably feel backwards and wrong the first few times you do it. 🙂 Pin into place.

Step 4: Sew along the seam line on the template between pieces 1 and 2. Be sure to sew a bit into the seam allowance. I also like to backstitch at the beginning and end. Remove your pins.

Back:

Step 6: Turn your block over and trim the excess fabric from around the template.

Looking better already, right?

Step 7: Take your fabric cut for Piece 3. Place it right side together to Piece 1 which you have sewn into place. Hold your template up to the light and make sure at least 1/4″ of the fabric overlaps into template space 3. Pin into place.

Step 8: Sew along the seam line on the template remembering again to sew a bit into the seam allowance.

Step 9: Trim seam allowance.

Before:

After:

And press.

Step 10: Repeat the same process for Piece 4.

Turn your block over and trim the excess fabric from around the template again.

Step 11: Take your fabric cut for Piece 5. Place it right side together to Piece 3 and 4 which you have sewn into place. Hold your template up to the light and make sure at least 1/4″ of the fabric overlaps into template space 5. Pin into place.

Step 12: Once again, sew along seam line…

Trim…

and Press…

Step 13: Repeat for the final Piece 6. Line up…

Sew, press and trim the block to size:

Congratulations! You’ve made your first paper pieced block quadrant!

Step 14: Now repeat these steps for the remaining three templates.

**TIP: To achieve the look of my block, you will want to reverse the location of the blue fabrics on two of the four templates. **

Step 15: Once you have all four templates pieced, remove the paper from the back. This should perforate easily as long as you remembered to shorten your stitch length before sewing.

This week I received some of Sandi Henderson’s new line, Secret Garden, in the mail. I purchased this Fat Quarter set from Fresh Squeezed Fabrics. Isn’t it beautiful? This the the midnight colorway.

I also received a Free Spirit Designer Solids color card in the mail today! This was purchased from Hawthorne Threads. I think they sold out about 24 hours after they sent their newsletter out announcing they were in stock. Keep an eye out for more! I recently worked with these fabrics for the first time and I really liked them (more than Kona solids). You’ll be seeing more of them on my blog!

I have future plans to make a quilt with some words on it, but I was a bit intimidated when it came to making letters. I’m *pretty* sure I’ve mentioned that geometry and I don’t exactly get along. And this style of letters looked like you needed to know something about that. Tonya’s book makes it SO easy! She has step-by-step instructions for all letters and numbers.

I also followed tips that I learned during Malka Dubrawsky’s Improvisational Piecing class:
1. I followed basic color rules when making my letters. Each letter/number is made with either warm or cool fabrics. I alternated warm/cool/warm/cool/etc.

2. I didn’t use my ruler once when making this mini quilt. I freehand cut all pieces with my rotary cutter. If a piece had a slight curve to it, I incorporated that curve into the next piece I sewed on.

3. When sewing letters together, if one letter was smaller than the next, I added fabric to the smaller piece rather than trimming fabric from the larger piece.

4. I used mostly solid fabrics, but incorporated a few prints to add a bit of interest.

I know this improvisational style of sewing makes some of you break out into a cold sweat. I won’t name names. You know who you are. LOL But I just love how it turned out!

I quilted this mini using straight lines in varying directions on the background portions of the letters. As for the fabric, I used a selection of solids from my stash: Kona cottons, Kaffe Fassett shot cottons, Moda crossweaves, Free Spirit Designer Solids and Pat Bravo’s Pure Elements solids. Phew! The binding is a Kei Honeycomb. The final size is 14″ x 12.5″. This is one mini quilt I think would look great hanging up in a nursery with little clothes pins. I’ve added it to my shop.

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Disclosures

I accept paid sponsor advertisements on this site. Occasionally, I receive fabric, notions and/or books in exchange for posting an honest review of these items. I will always state when I have received these items for free, and accepting these items will not prevent me from stating my honest opinion of them. This site also uses Accuquilt, Amazon, Annie's, Blitsy, Connecting Threads, Craftsy, CreativeBug LLC, CreativeLive, Cricut, C&T Publishing Inc., Leisure Arts Inc., Darn Good Yarn, Knit Picks, Patchwork Posse, Sulky of America, Inc., Taunton Press, and Thermoweb affiliate links.